It is called nature for a reason. God forbid some kid was standing on the Multnomah Falls bridge when a falling rock hit it. You can't expect these things to stay in perfect condition all the time. Unless you want to hire a whole lot more help for the parks system. Even then, these things would happen. Tragic and sad, but inevitable.

The impression I received from local tv news was that the section of pipe rail in question had been tampered with that day, that someone had picked up the end on the ground and pushed it back into its union, barely enough for it to remain in place while lending the appearance of it being intact. It appeared to be marked, though barely, with pink marking paint and a piece of surveyor's tape.

Kids will be kids and it seems as parents that we spend a lifetime protecting them from being what they are: kids. Certainly there is a responsibility for the parks service to protect its patrons/users. Yet when one steps onto a "trail" in a somewhat wilderness setting, it seems to me they are accepting a higher degree of self awareness and yes, personal responsibility for one's well being. It's a trail, park or not.

Sorry for the kid's misfortune and hoping for a fast recovery and return to a kid's life. We read about accidents within the park every year. Taking for granted the park setting is all too easy. it is not the responsibility of the state to save us from ourselves, or the acts of others (like propping up the rail) every second of every day.

I am always very fearful of old railings and safety cables one finds along trails. These things are often poorly installed and horribly aged and abused. When new they are installed into often brittle rock that with time has had natural and man made forces exerted on it that have weakened it. A railing such as the one at Silver Falls gives one a feeling of confidence but really offers very little in the way of fall protection.